Reconstruction
by Guardian of Hope
Summary: Reconstruction 05 Laura, Derek, Petra, and Justin are settling into life together, raising Petra's daughters, dealing with Justin's crazy friends, going to school and healing from their different paths. Except someone forgot to tell them something important about Staten meone forgot to tell them there was a storm coming. The Pack will need to stand together or die.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own neither Power Rangers or Teen Wolf.

AN: This is the titular story of the Reconstruction series. It will be multiple chapters and involve some interesting OCs along the way. Enjoy!

* * *

If Laura had a favorite time of day, it was the twenty-five minutes she spent on the Staten Island Ferry to and from home. Sure, it was a long commute, occasionally lengthened by whatever New York Public Transit broke this time, but getting on the ferry was like a signal to relax. She wasn't on a crowded island spending her time working through classes, struggling to learn what had come so easily to her mother. She wasn't in a house that was alternately too big and too small, too loud or too quiet. She didn't have to push Derek to do something other than brood in his room, drawing and redrawing buildings. She didn't have to coax Petra into doing things with the rest of them, or hold her when she started crying over her family. She didn't have Justin teasing her through math or science.

She could just be Laura, and read something that had nothing to do with the Pack or school, something that would end happily.

Naturally, it was on that twenty-five minute ride home that her moment of peace was rudely snatched away, along with her book, by an overly tall, overly blond man with blue eyes.

"Excuse you," Laura said, "what do you think you're doing?"

"I think I'm talking to a wanna-be Alpha," the man growled as his eyes glowed red.

Laura sniffed and let her wolf off the leash just a little, "I not a wanna-be, what's it to you anyways?"

"You should get out of town, little Alpha," the man said, "Before it's too late."

"Am I supposed to be scared of cheap movie lines by a man who smells like he's in desperate need of a bath?" Laura stood up, knocking him back from her. "Grow up, man-child."

He grabbed her arm, "You listen to me, little girl."

Laura ripped her arm away from him and laughed, "Why do want to be villains always sound like a Bond villain when they get pissed off?" The ferry shuddered to a halt and Laura slung her bag over her shoulder. "Be careful," Laura said over her shoulder to the other Alpha, "things can get a little crazy on the Island." Then she stalked off.

It was only as Laura climbed on the bus out to the house that she realized she'd left her book with the Alpha.

Justin hummed to himself as he headed for the subway station. He always had a late lab on Tuesdays, so he couldn't head home with Laura. It left him twitchy, not being there to watch Laura's back. She wasn't weak or helpless, but Justin wanted his Pack to be safe. At least he would meet up with Derek on the subway and they could ride the ferry together. Derek probably would have Wren with him for another of their study-sessions-that-weren't-dates.

Justin turned down an alley, trusting his instincts and skills against being surprised as he separated himself from the crowd. Anyone following him would stand out in the alley in a way they wouldn't on the streets and there had been something making the hair on the back of his neck stand up since he left the lab. If he were being paranoid, then he'd take the extra time the alley cost him, and if he wasn't, then whoever was following him could take their chances.

Sure enough, as Justin turned onto a second alley that had no direct access to the streets, he heard footsteps behind him. Justin shifted his bag on his shoulder and began to whistle. The footsteps got closer and Justin aimed his path towards a clean looking flight of steps where he could leave his bag.

As more footsteps came to his ears, Justin began to sing softly, _"Don't come around tonight, it's bound to take your life, there's a bad moon on the rise."_

Someone laughed, "False courage, pup?"

Justin dropped his bag on the stairs and turned to face his pursuers. Three men stood behind them, two with long blond hair and similar enough to have been related. The last was equally tall and muscular with dark brown hair and a nose that probably had been broken at some point.

"All this for me?" Justin asked as he settled himself in the middle of the alley, "It's a little unfair, don't you think?"

"We're just going to bruise you a bit," one of the blondes said as he stepped forward.

Justin's smile bared all his teeth, "I meant for you."

He lunged forward, swinging his right fist into the blonde's stomach before spinning to heel kick the second blonde in his chest. He ducked the brunette's claw swipe and took his feet out from under him before turning back to face the two blondes again.

The thing about fighting werewolves, Justin found, was that they relied on their instincts and their natural weapons to handle an enemy. They had no clue how to handle someone who had real training, who was experienced in fighting three on one, and who had no problem leaving them broken and bleeding in the alley.

Justin didn't even look back when he picked his bag up, just sucked on the rapidly healing scrapes on his knuckle as he trotted down the alley. He didn't want to worry Derek by missing his stop after all.

Derek was waiting for him on the car when Justin got in, leaning against Wren with a little smile on his face.

"Hey Derek, hey Wren," Justin said as he grabbed the pole by their seat. "Have a good day?"

"It was great," Wren said, "we got an A on our project."

"All right," Justin said.

Derek glanced up at Justin, "Thanks for your suggestion. It really made the difference."

"I told you, Rube Goldberg machines are just cool," Justin said.

"How was your day?" Wren asked.

"Good," Justin said, "I even had some really interesting sparring partners earlier."

"Sparring partners?" Wren asked.

"Yeah, I'm a martial artist. It's always nice to have a chance to practice with other people. Kata are good for keeping in shape, but having a partner helps your timing." Justin glanced at Derek and saw the question in his eyes. "It's pretty much the only thing my dad ever taught me, so I like to keep my hand in things."

Derek glanced around Justin for a moment and then looked back up at him, "Think you could teach me?" He asked.

Justin refused to look over his shoulder. He had watched far too many movies and read twice as many books to know that if he looked over his shoulder there would be a tall, blonde werewolf watching them. "So, Wren," Justin said instead, "how's your mom?"

Wren smiled, "She's good. Hates the desert, but that's not too surprising. She'll be home next year at least."

"I'm glad," Justin said. "Are you staying for dinner tonight?"

"I'd like to," Wren said, "Danny doesn't get off until ten."

"Then we'll have you home by nine," Justin said, "escort included."

Petra hissed through her teeth as she climbed off the bus. Although she was mostly healed, she could feel the deeper bruises and the definitely-cracked-maybe-broken rib every time she moved. She was almost to the Pack House though, and she could hear Laura's heartbeat. She was almost safe.

That thought kept her going as she tried to keep everyone from realizing something was wrong. She waved at Mr. Schafer as she passed his driveway and smiled when Ms. Georgia jogged past with the baby stroller. Thankfully, the bruises on her face had faded before she'd even gotten on the bus, and everything else was hidden under her hoodie.

Petra climbed the stairs to the house slowly, because she was hurt and she was tired. She'd been up for an eight o'clock class at the community college and then had worked her shift at the diner before running into the three werewolves who had attacked her.

Petra was just reaching the top step when the door opened. Laura stood there, her eyes already glowing red, looking wild and lovely with her blond hair in a braid. "What happened?" Laura demanded.

"Three werewolves," Petra replied, "they caught me after work." She stepped inside and sighed with relief when the door closed. Laura was at her side instantly. "They said it was a message for you."

Laura took her bag, "Don't move," she growled. Petra closed her eyes as Laura pulled off her knitted cap and jacket. "I got their message rather clearly from their Alpha," she said. "I hope the others are all right."

"They should be here soon," Petra replied.

"Come sit in the living room," Laura said, "I had to do something so there are cookies and hot chocolate ready."

"Thank you," Petra said as she let Laura lead her into the living room. She eased down on the overstuffed couch and Laura crouched to pull her shoes off. "You don't have to," Petra began.

"I need to," Laura said tightly. "Is it just your ribs?"

"Yes," Petra said. "Everything else is just after effects."

Laura nodded as she stood up, "Rest," she said, squeezing Petra's arm. "We'll wait for the boys to get home…"

Petra cocked her head, focusing and hearing three very familiar heartbeats, Justin, Derek, and Derek's friend Wren. "Of course they're studying tonight," Petra said.

Laura sighed and looked at Petra, her eyes hazel once more. "We're having a pack meeting if I have to lock Wren in the attic."

Petra nods even though she knows that statement is for the two men climbing the stairs outside. "Laura!" Derek called moments later as the door swung open, "Laura, we're home."

"In the living room," Laura called back.

Justin led the other two into the room and Petra relaxed as she realized that Justin looked fine, if concerned. "Are you okay?" He asked, looking at Petra.

"I'm fine," Petra said, looking past Justin at Derek and Wren.

"Hi Wren," Laura said with a fond smile, "Listen, we need to have a house meeting right now. Do you mind waiting for Derek in the study?"

"I could go if you need me to," Wren offered.

"No, this won't take long," Laura said.

Wren shifted her feet then nodded, "Okay, I can wait." Then she backed up and vanished from view. The room was silent, and Petra easily followed the scuff of Wren's sneakers across the house to the large study and the thud of the closing door.

"Someone was following me today," Derek said instantly as he threw himself into one of the chairs in the room. "It was a werewolf. I didn't know who on my way to school, but I saw someone at gym class."

"Overly tall and blonde?" Justin asked as he moved to sit beside Petra.

"Yeah," Derek nodded. "He never tried to approach, and I stuck to my classmates. That's why I asked Wren to come home with me today especially. I thought that whatever they were after, they wouldn't try anything with Wren around."

"I got jumped," Justin said. "I noticed them after lunch, and they just followed me. On the way home, I cut through some alleys and they tried to attack. Three men, two blonds who looked like they were brothers, or maybe cousins, and a brunette."

"Are you okay?" Laura asked.

Justin grinned wolfishly, "I left them unconscious in the alley, they didn't even get a hand on me. They said they wanted to bruise me a bit, but that was all."

"Petra was also attacked," Laura said.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked.

"I'm fine," Petra said. "They just wanted to make sure Laura saw me. He said," She hesitated, "he said it would show the wanna-be Alpha they were serious."

Laura nodded. "The Alpha of your stalkers and attackers approached me. He tried to threaten me out of town," she paused, "and he stole my book."

"Why would they do this?" Justin asked.

"Power," Petra replied. "They can't expect us to run away can they?"

"No," Laura said, "they can't. They could be looking for more territory or he could be trying to help someone else become an Alpha."

"How?" Justin asked.

"There are three ways to become an Alpha," Laura said. "The most common way is to kill an Alpha. A Beta or Omega who kills an Alpha takes the Alpha's spark, the thing that makes an Alpha stronger and able to turn wolves. The second way is what happened to me, I inherited it. My mother was an Alpha and since the power wasn't stolen, she was able to pass it to me."

"What's the third way?" Justin asked after a long moment.

"They call them True Alphas," Laura said, "they're Betas, bitten or born, who are able to rise to being an Alpha through their own character. They are very, very rare. The last one died of old age when I was a little girl. Momma took me to the funeral with her."

Silence filled the living room until Petra found herself listening to Wren's heartbeat for lack of other sound.

"So, this Alpha could have been looking for you," Justin said, "so that he could help some Beta or Omega become another Alpha, or it could be a territory dispute?"

"I don't know of any other reason that this would happen," Laura said.

"What do we do?" Petra asked.

"We need to be more careful," Laura said slowly, "make sure that we don't get caught alone. I need to talk to the other Borough Alphas, they might know something."

"We also need to start training," Justin said. "They've learned today that I can and will take care of myself and they'll be wondering how far I'm willing to go. They didn't expect that from me. They knew I was newly bitten too."

Petra wondered what Laura was thinking as the Alpha hugged herself for a long moment before turning to the Beta. "Justin, are you willing to handle the training we all need?"

"I am," Justin said. Petra thought he had no clue what exactly had just happened between him and Laura, and she couldn't help but think that was a good thing.

"Then we'll discuss a schedule for that. Petra, you should rest for a while and Derek, you have a guest in the study. Dinner will be ready at six." Laura looked at each of them, "We'll get through this, that's why we're a Pack."

Petra had to remind herself to breathe when Laura looked away. Laura had a strong personality when she chose to let it out. That personality had drawn her to the young Alpha that summer when Laura had found her. Laura had the strength of will to be a good Alpha, and it was Petra and Justin's job to see that she matured into the best.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This chapter has a lot of information of some importance to it. I couldn't think of some way to just throw it out there, so I went with an actual lesson. Enjoy!

* * *

Before she went to the Alphas, Laura knew she needed to teach Justin about Pack structures. She needed his help today more than the others. "Justin," she said at breakfast, "It occurs to me that I've neglected in teaching you about werewolf packs."

"What do you mean?" Justin asked.

"I mean that I forgot that you were bitten and wouldn't understand some of the things Petra, Derek, and I take for granted. Do you have time for a talk after breakfast?"

"Sure," Justin said, "whatever you need."

They met in the study, Laura pausing to collect a notebook and pen before settling at the side table where she and Justin worked on math together.

Laura tapped her pen on the table for a moment to organize her thoughts as Justin made himself comfortable. "You know, we use the words Pack and Alpha all the time. People assume werewolves are like true wolves in social structure. We're not. I can't really think of a system I could say the Packs copied from entirely, although there are a variety of systems that influence us. Our command structure works like this," She wrote _ALPHA_ on the top of her notebook. "Alphas run the Packs. There are 'omega packs' were a group of Omega will adopt a pack structure, but they lack an actual Alpha to hold them. An Alpha might create a 'beta pack' if the pack is large, or the territory. The beta pack would reside in a lesser Den than the Alpha's Den, and would represent the Alpha in their territory. This is more common in Africa than most other places. Third world countries are less concerned with their citizens the way America is. An Alpha has five advisors and four Named betas."

Laura wrote _CONSORT, LOREKEEPER, EMISSARY,_ and _LEGATE_ on her paper. "These are the advisors. The Consort is the partner of the Alpha, usually the mate, but not always. A Consort is there to provide advice and support and speaks to the good of the Pack; they oversee welfare of the Pack and keep the Den. The Legate counters the Consort. They often take a Devil's Advocate role to the Alpha and speak up when they have a concern. The Legate oversees the beta packs, relationships with other packs, and the security of the territory in general. The Lorekeeper is just that. They keep the history of the Pack and curate the Pack libraries especially tending to knowledge of the supernatural, myths and legends of our kind, and possible creatures we might meet. The Emissary is the only position that has to be held by a Human, specifically a magic user."

"Like a sorceress?" Justin asked.

"Druids," Laura said, "mostly Druids, although Witches and Sparks might also take the role. Emissaries handle protection against other supernatural creatures. Emissaries are also important when it comes to wolfsbane."

Justin shuddered, no doubt remembering Laura's detailed story of what wolfsbane could do to him now.

"There is a fifth position equal to those four, and that is the Heir. The Heir is usually a child of the Alpha, but it can be a sibling, niece or nephew as long as they are a Werewolf and over the age of 15. Right now, Derek is my Heir. If a werewolf kills me, they will get the Spark of power that makes me an Alpha. If I am killed by a Hunter, or other means, then the Spark will pass to Derek and he will become the Alpha. A werewolf not related by blood can be an Heir if necessary but there is more strength in a blood link."

Justin nodded, "I understand what you're saying, I think. You said that Emissary must be held by a Human, and the Heir has to be a werewolf. What about Consort and Legate?"

"They can be human, werewolf, or any other being. They simple must be able to fulfill their duties for the good of the Pack," Laura replied as she linked the five to the Alpha. "The other four Name positions of the inner circle are Castellan, Steward, Envoy and Warden." She wrote down _CASTELLAN_ and _STEWARD_ then linked them to the Consort. Then she wrote _ENVOY_ and _WARDEN_ and linked them to the Legate. "Small packs might simply have the five advisors and these four roles fold up, or an Emissary may also be a Lorekeeper. Sometimes the Consort and Legate can even be the same person. When they are Named, however, the Castellan holds the Den. They handle meals, maintaining the Den, raising the children, and any staff that cares for the Den. There's a joke that they're the Pack Mom, but the Name is Castellan."

"You say Name like it's important," Justin observed.

"It's very important," Laura said. "Naming someone to a role, it's like they're nobility in a Royal Court. They have clear duties and responsibilities, and it brings them above the rest of the pack. It helps keep down in-fighting and jostling for status."

"I see," Justin said.

"I mean to formalize it today, but Petra is our Castellan," Laura said. "That relates to you in that you do have to follow the chore list she gave you."

"Didn't she try to poison you though?" Justin asked.

Laura laughed, "It was an audition, actually. There's this story about Castellans, a warning to everyone. There was a Pack once that was decimated by rogue Hunters, acting against their Code. Only the Castellan and a young Heir survived. The Hunters claimed the Pack's den for their own. Three weeks later, the Castellan and her Alpha took back their home without any fighting. All of the Hunters were dead."

"What happened?" Justin asked.

"The Castellan poisoned the food before she fled with her child-Alpha, knowing the Hunters would want the den." Laura shrugged, "People underestimate the cook all the time. Wolves never had to have a feminist revolution, Justin."

"That's Petra's role then," Justin nodded.

"The Steward handles the other side of the Den, that is, the financial records, business deals, real estate." Laura continued. "They make sure the Pack funds are taken care of, that there's money to cover emergencies, the different necessary insurances. It's a long list, but they make sure we can live comfortably, at least ours did. I've been handling this with help from people my parents trusted, but if you…"

"No thank you," Justin said, "I'm having trouble with my business accounts already and I think my CPA is trying to cheat me on top of that. I might be good at math, but finances are not my strong point."

Laura smiled, "I can't disagree. Now the Castellan and Stewart fall under the Consort's jurisdiction. All three of them make sure that the Pack and the Den are what we need it to be. The Legate has the Envoy and the Warden. The Envoy is just that. They speak for the Alpha to other packs, investigate for possible trouble or possible alliances, arrange fostering if a young beta needs more instruction and they deal with Hunters, covens, and other supernatural gatherings. The Warden holds the Pack's territory. They define the borders and set protections, they see to the personal security of the pack and the Alpha outside the territory, and they arrange for the instruction of the Pack in defense."

"Big job," Justin said.

"Do you want it?" Laura asked.

"Me?" Justin asked, stunned.

"All three of them," Laura said. "I've thought about making you my Legate for the past month or so, but I've known you were my Warden."

"Since when?" Justin demanded.

"Ever since you went for an Alpha and got clawed for it even though you didn't know what was going on," Laura replied. "You've been protecting this Pack from the beginning, and I want to recognize that Justin. I have to face the Alphas today, and I'll look a lot more impressive if my Legate is standing beside me more than just a scrappy Beta."

Justin stared at her for a long moment. "A 'scrappy Beta'?"

Laura closed her eyes briefly, "My grandmother… she used to say that about my older brother. He didn't want a Name but he was a hell of a fighter."

"I'm sorry," Justin said, reaching over to press his hand over Laura's wrist.

Laura smiled, "I don't mind talking about them, it just took me by surprise that I did."

"I know," Justin said, "I can go days without, but suddenly I'll say something my mom did and it always surprises me when I realize I did."

Laura knew how important Justin's mom was. He rarely said much about her, but Laura never doubted he loved her. "So will you be my Legate?" Laura asked.

Justin grinned at her, "Sure Laura. Do we have to do anything special?"

"Not really," Laura said, "I'll confirm everybody today before I leave and I'll announce it at the meeting. People will know about it pretty fast after that."

"You said you wanted me to go with you?" Justin asked.

"For many reasons," Laura said.

"Okay," Justin said. "I do have one more question."

"What's that?" Laura asked.

"Training. You said I had to arrange it, and you asked me to train everybody yesterday. Now, I know that Petra and you will listen to me when we start, but what about Derek? I mean, we get along all right, but I don't think he's actually going to listen to me." Justin fidgeted a minute.

"Just break his arm or something," Laura said. "Justin, we heal very fast. I might not _actually_ tear his throat out, but you've seen how I handle Derek on a regular basis. Aunt Jessie used to have someone standing by for first aid in training because if you didn't guard right, she'd prove to you why you should. You're used to humans, who have to be careful because they don't heal. Unless an Alpha does the injuring, werewolves are usually fully healed within twenty-four hours. Derek was raised with that attitude and he'll respond to it."

Justin nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. "This evening, I'd appreciate an hour of everyone's time then. While I'll set up for individual training, I think we could all benefit from Tai Chi. It will help set the foundation for a more structured fighting style. I mean, it's an advantage we have over those beta goons, same as the Rangers have. Knowing _how_ to fight instead of just acting on instinct is important and useful. Those guys in the alley today, they were trained to fight using their strength and their claws. It's more animal style, very little thought involved. I beat them because I kept my head and out-thought them."

"That's exactly why I asked you," Laura interrupted him. "You understand fighting, and you handled three of them, three! _I'd_ be hard pressed fighting three people at once."

Justin hesitated, "Well, there's a reason for that." He slid Laura's paper away from her and stole her pen. Carefully he wrote something down. "You have to burn this afterwards, and not tell Derek and Petra. I'll tell them in the future, I promise, but I don't want to bandy it about too much. What they already know is difficult enough to handle."

Laura slid the paper over, "I'll burn it," she promised softly.

Written in Justin's shaky handwriting was a single sentence. _I am the Blue Turbo Ranger._

"That's my big secret," Justin said. "I learned a lot from the Turbo Rangers too, including how to fight when the odds are against me. Here's a secret the Rangers will never admit. The shock troops, like the Putties or the Piranhatrons aren't the best fighters around. They're strong, and they have some training, but when compared to the Rangers there's never a contest. The closest it's gotten between minions and Rangers was either the Invasion or up in Silver Hills during the Time Battle. The only reason the Quantrons were a danger was that there were at least ten thousand of them against six rangers, and it was almost as bad during the Time Force battle. Shock troops win battles by being hard to defeat and going up against weaker or poorly trained forces. I can't make you guys Power Rangers, but I can train you to fight like they do, using team work and superior knowledge."

Laura folded up the piece of paper, "Thank you for telling me this. I'll make sure everyone is free tonight. Where do you want to meet?"

"I think the individual lessons would be better in the moon room," Justin said, which made Laura grin. Justin had coined the name for the room he'd spent the full moon in while learning his control. "Tai chi can be in the back yard. In fact, if Derek wants to bring Wren or Mik to the lessons, it would be fine."

"What do you think of Wren and Mik?" Laura asked, curious.

"I think Wren's got a good head on her shoulders," Justin replied, "and she's good for Derek. I don't think they'll end up dating, but they're good friends. I wish I could get in her head and figure her out sometimes, like there's something wrong or that worries her and she won't talk about it. I think her 'head for math' is a bit more than just that, but she won't admit it so I can't ask. I don't know Mik as well, but he's very calm. He's like Teflon, Derek's attitude just bounces off him and I respect that. They're both good for Derek in their way."

"What about for the pack?" Laura asked quietly.

Justin's eyebrows went up, "Oh," he said. Then he looked away for a minute, "Oh…" Then he turned back to her, "I relate a lot of things to the Rangers, and I'm thinking that if this was a team, they'd be all right."

"Just all right?" Laura said, "Not… good?"

"Neither of them are yellow," Justin said after a long moment. "That's what's weird to me, okay? Every Ranger team ever has Red, Yellow, and Blue. You're as much a Red as any that I've met. I'm so Blue it's ridiculous. Derek has Black Ranger down and Petra's a Pink or a White, I'm not too sure yet. Mik's Green and Wren's Blue and White. I know we aren't a team, but it's weird not to see a Yellow in the dynamic. Yellows are Healers; they help their team deal, either mentally, physically, or spiritually. Ashley's all three, which isn't a usual thing."

Laura briefly wondered if there was a guide to understanding Ranger colors. "But are you saying they wouldn't make good Pack members?"

"No!" Justin said, "I just need to adjust my understanding of dynamics. I'm used to a certain set up, and it won't really work here. I mean, I'm the bluest Blue to ever Blue, but you're asking me to be a Warden and that's nothing like what Blues do. Blues are all about our minds, logic, critical thinking, intelligence to some extent, curiosity, exploration. Holy shit."

"What?" Laura asked, worried.

Justin shook his head, "I just realized, I know someone who could help me out with that accounting SNAFU. I haven't seen him in years, and he'll want to see me." Justin sighed, "I'll contact him later, though. I think Wren and Mik would be good in the Pack, but I don't think you should offer them the bite right now. I know what you said about rejection, but I think it would be better for them to know the Pack, become the Pack, and then get the bite when they're over eighteen. I mean, if their parents decided to speak out against it, we could totally get Lightspeed involved, but it would be easier if we let them come to the Pack slowly, especially if there's going to be fighting." He paused, "I might kill somebody, won't I?"

"I'm sorry," Laura said.

"No, it's okay," Justin replied. "I know what fighting's like. I just, this will be the first time they won't look like monsters."

Laura squeezed Justin's arm, "Well, let's go talk to the others and then get downtown. We need to know what's going on before we make decisions like that. My mom used to say that we're predators, but we don't have to be killers."

Justin nodded and followed Laura to the kitchen, where Derek and Petra were cleaning up. "All right," Laura said, "Derek, Petra, this is my Legate, Justin. Justin will also stand as Warden and Envoy for the Pack. Justin, Derek is my Heir and stands as Lorekeeper. Petra is the Castellan."

"Congratulations," Petra said, coming over to hug Justin.

"Thank you," Justin said. He turned to Derek, "Laura and I have business this afternoon, but there will be training after dinner for all of us and tomorrow at some point, I want to evaluate your fighting skills."

Derek looked at Laura.

"Do as he says," Laura said firmly. "Justin knows what he's talking about." She headed for the junk drawer. "I expect you to give him the same respect you gave Aunt Jessie during training."

"Yes Laura," Derek said quietly as Laura found the matches.

"Don't worry," Justin said, "I'm not going to kill you. I'm not good at hiding bodies."

From the look in Derek's eyes, that wasn't as funny to him as it was to Justin.


	3. Chapter 3

Laura watched as the receptionist chatted on the phone. The human woman had clearly forgotten how good the wearing of a werewolf was as she chatted with a friend instead of contacting someone who could tell the Alphas that she was there with Justin.

"The Alphas are having their weekly meeting, of course. It's quiet up here except for a couple of Betas. Like, everyone knows the Alphas aren't available before four on Saturdays but they won't leave."

Laura glanced at Justin who was frowning. He leaned over, "After we get done here, we should look into getting something a little more obvious."

"You have an idea?" Laura asked.

"I know someone to ask," Justin replied. "In the mean time, do you want to fuck with the bitch's brain or shall I?"

Laura raised her eyebrows, noting Justin's eyes. "Get yourself together," she murmured, "your eyes are glowing."

"Sorry," Justin said.

Laura stood up and stalked over to the secretary, "You know the fun thing about being a werewolf," she said as she crossed the large room. "You hear all sorts of interesting things." She planted her hands on the desk and leaned over, letting her eyes bleed red. "Go tell the Alphas that Laura Hale has an issue she needs to discuss with them. Don't just call your buddy on the second floor."

The woman swallowed, leaped to her feet and hurried away.

Laura turned to Justin, "Coming?"

"On your six, boss," Justin replied eagerly.

They followed the secretary down the hallway, past a number of curious people, human and not human, until they rounded a corner and came to a set of double doors. Laura hesitated at the corner, pulling back and listening as the woman opened the doors and stepped inside.

"Are we making a statement?" Justin said.

"We're making a point," Laura replied. She stalked around the corner and flashed her eyes at the man who tried to intercept them. Justin darted forward, pushed the door handle, then stepped back and kicked the doors open with a bang.

"Alpha Laura Hale," Justin announced, "of Beacon Hills and Staten Island to see the Alphas of the Boroughs."

Laura smirked as she stalked forward. "I heard you guys were having a weekly meeting. I guess my invitation got lost in the mail."

"Laura," Samuel said, "nice entrance."

Laura crossed her arms, "Your receptionist failed to inform you I was here. Then she called me a Beta. It was a little upsetting for my Warden. I came here to exchange some information."

"Information," Samuel said, raising his eyebrows.

Laura shifted her weight and glance at Justin who nodded slightly.

"I was attacked yesterday," Justin said, "three betas, two were tall, easily six five if not taller. One had sandy blond hair and the other was more honey blond, but they had the same shaped eyes colored blue. The third was within an inch of their height with dark brown hair and brown eyes. They clearly identified me as newly bitten and their intent was to beat me bloody as a message to my Alpha."

"You're alright though?" Carola asked.

Justin smirked, "I left them blood, broken, and unconscious in an alley without breaking a sweat. I may be new to the fangs and claw set, but I was trained to survive by the best for exactly these sorts of situations."

"Petra was attacked and Derek was followed," Laura cut in. "Both of them alluded to tall blonds. From the numbers, we estimate no less than eight Betas. Their Alpha confronted me on the ferry and tried to threaten me off my territory."

The other three Alphas looked at each other uncomfortably. "This Alpha and his pack are known to us," Carola said finally, reluctantly. "He holds territory in New Jersey, and has been petitioning to be allowed more land. When Staten Island was without an Alpha, he tried to pressure everyone into getting the land for himself. We thought, by our arrangement with you that David would back off."

Laura knew there were a hundred responses she could make that weren't out of line, but she wanted them to know the depth of her feelings. "Is there a reason you didn't think to mention this was a possible issue?"

"Despite his actions, we thought that he would back down after seeing another Alpha in the territory," Adam said.

"Clearly he isn't," Laura said.

"We'll speak to the New Jersey Alpha Council," Carola said, "They'll handle him."

Laura raised her eyebrows, "And what am I supposed to do if they attack my pack again?"

"The council will handle it," Carola said.

"I'm sorry, are you saying I should ignore the fact that two of _my betas_ have been attacked and a third, _my little brother_ was stalked? That I have been threatened by an Alpha?" Laura said.

"It will be handled through the proper channels, please control your beta," Adam said.

Laura glanced at Justin, wear that he was softly growling. "I think he's very much in control," she said. "Maybe it's just because I'm a western Alpha, but when you contact your council friends pass on a message for me. If any of my Pack receives so much as a scratch related to that Alpha, David, and his Pack, I will settle matters on my own. If that Alpha and his Pack enter my territory, I will react with equal hostility. My Legate and I will not permit anyone to act against our pack, for any reason. Let's go, Justin."

"On your six boss," Justin said, turning to follow her out.

They both ignored it when the Alphas tried to call them back.

Laura kept her angry façade up until they entered a taxi. "Now what?" Justin asked.

"Now we follow up on your suggestion. I'm not walking in there like a petitioner ever again," Laura said.

"Right," Justin said. He pulled out his cell phone and made a call.

"Kim Johansson's desk," a man said, his voice clear enough that Laura could hear him.

"May I speak with Kim please," Justin said.

"Whom may I say is speaking?" The man said.

"Justin Stewart, an old friend from Angel Grove," Justin said.

"Hold please."

A moment later, there was a clicking noise, "Justin?" The woman said.

"Hi Kim, it's me." Justin said, "I know it's been a while."

"No, it's fine," Kim said, "I just didn't expect to hear from you. Are you okay?"

"Better than I have been," Justin said, "listen, I called you for a favor."

"I don't know what you think I can do, but I'll try," Kim said.

"I was told that your usual fashion person when you were on the Olympic Team works at a fashion house in New York City," Justin said.

"Lily? Yes, she does." Kim said.

"Can you see if I could speak with her today," Justin said, he glanced at Laura for a moment. "It's for my friend Laura. I wanted to thank her for what she did for me, and this is part of it. I want to help her get a business and formal wardrobe that will impress people and make them forget she's eighteen."

"Let me call Lily and ask," Kim said, "Laura is the one who…"

"Saved me," Justin said bluntly. "I need to call a friend of mine while you're calling her so the line may be busy."

"All right," Kim said.

Justin hung up and leaned forward, "Excuse me, but can you take us to the Garment District, particularly Giorgio Armani."

"Of course," the driver replied. "Traffic though."

"No worries," Justin said.

"Giorgio Armani?" Laura asked.

Justin smiled at her as he dialed, "Another friend, sort of. Hello," he turned back to his phone, "is Rene Markham available?"

"One moment," the person on the phone said.

There was a brief moment of music, and then the line picked up, "Rene Markham."

"Rene, hi, this is Captain Awesome," Justin flushed a little, "how are things in fashion?"

"Justin, what the hell are you doing?" The man said.

"Just wondering if you would be available in the next hour for a fashion consultation," Justin said lightly.

"Why?" Rene asked warily.

"Because my cyber-security business is starting to get me offers from some rather well known companies and I almost lost a job because my business suit cost me less than five hundred dollars and is starting to become a poor fit," Justin said easily. "I'm hoping to pick up a variety of suits, including at least one formal one. You told me once you owed me."

"I can get you in," Rene said, "but do you know how expensive this might be?"

Justin's smile was sharp, "You aren't going to cost me more than a hundred thousand dollars are you? Because I've got money, my business is going exceptionally well."

"All right," Rene said.

"Excellent," Justin said, "depending on traffic, it should be less than an hour. Bye Rene."

"Bye Justin," Rene replied.

Justin glanced at Laura, "Rene and I shared a room at the group home back in Angel Grove the year my father lost custody of me. He's six years older than I am, and he's always been in love with fashion. I used to help him pass math so he could get a full ride to a design school."

"I see," Laura said.

Justin's phone rang again, "Hello," he said.

"Hey Justin," Kim said, "I spoke with Lily and she'll do it. She's available as soon as you and your friend get there. I also told Lily to put one dress on my tab for Laura. I can't thank her in person, but that should be something, right?"

"Kim," Justin said.

"I insist," Kim replied. "I've got the money for it, and this is kind of important to me."

"All right," Justin said. "We'll be there soon, thank you for arranging this."

"Not a problem," Kim said.

"Hey, I'll email you soon," Justin said.

"Definitely," Kim replied, "bye."

Justin hung up with a sigh, "And who is Kim?" Laura asked.

"Kim is, or rather was, she's married now. She's Kimberly Hart, the gold medal Olympian," Justin said. "I was friends with her friends in high school; they taught me a lot of martial arts. We aren't best friends, but we're friends. She's buying you a dress too, by the way."

"I see," Laura said, "and where is this dress coming from."

Justin smiled, "You'll see."

They arrived at the Armani store about twenty minutes later. "All right," Laura said, "where am I going?"

Justin leaned forward, "Would you mind taking my friend down to Dolce and Gabbana please?"

"No problem," the driver said.

"Justin," Laura said.

"It's fine," Justin said, "just go in and ask for Lily Stanton. She'll get you everything you need, okay? Trust me; you won't go wrong with Lily." He flipped open his wallet and dropped two hundred dollar bills into Laura's hand. "I'll be down there later to see how you're doing Laura." The grin on his face was nothing but trouble. "Remember, you are a badass woman who can handle anything." Then he slid out of the cab and shut the door.

Laura took a deep breath and turned back to the driver, "Let's go," she said. She really was going to have words with Justin about hijacking her day like this. Although she was curious as to what he actually might have planned next.


End file.
